he was a gentleman or so he thought
by Kaname Hatake
Summary: Yuzu comes across a dying Shinigami after going grocery shopping. Set during the Cold War.
1. Prologue

Yuzu had always been one with limited experience in the supernatural world that her family was involved neck deep yet within the few days that her brother regained his Shinigami powers her own spiritual poweress strengthen to an alarming rate she had a hard time controlling it, but she managed to tuck it all safely within her to the point nothing could be sensed. Yuzu took pride in that small accomplishment, her father provided useful information before teaching Karin and she healing Kido in case her brother got beaten up and Orihime nor he were around they'd be the ones to tend to Ichigo.

Yuzu couldn't be any happier thus she picked up her father's old medical textbooks to learn about all kinds of wounds and treatments that she could use Reiatsu for, of course. Karin wasn't as interested in further developing them as she was and at the moment Yuzu couldn't be any more grateful that she had deepened her medical skills because that man wouldn't have survived otherwise. She had been on the way to buy groceries when the ground on front of her exploded, the people predictably ran screaming in fear as she saw a bloodied man on the verge of unconsciousness.

"Shinigami-san!" she ran towards him, "Shinigami-san!" the man who looked worse for wear, with no one able to see him there wasn't much she could do so she took a deep breath and removed her scarf to tie around a particular nasty wound on his torso and then grabbed him by his shoulders hoisting his body up in her arms and pulled him out of the crater before the Police could arrive leaving a trail of blood no one was able to see. It wasn't easy half-carrying a man of at least 190 pounds who was a bit taller than 6 feet from Karakura Honchou to Minamikawase where her home was located.

It was difficult to lift him to one of the Clinic's bed, she rushed towards the cabinets pulling out things she needed bandages, gauzes, ointment a needle with a basin full of disinfectant and several towels. She took a shuddering breath as she peeled what remained of his Shihakusho's Kosode and picked up one of the small towels dipping it under lukewarm water and began to clean off the sweat, dirt, grime and blood fresh and dry careful not to irritate his wounds further. Yuzu moved to his face, there was a nasty gash at his temple so she threw the already dirty towel aimlessly behind her and picked up another, this time she dipped it into the disinfectant and cleaned the wound before passing her thumb coated in healing Reiatsu.

Removing the eye patch and noticed the extensive damage done to his eye so she recalled the eye tissues and began to reconstruct them by manipulating the Reishi in the air, after all Shinigami were Souls who were composed of Reishi. Although his eye would remain sightless, it would prevent future damage to his brain or an infection. Yuzu brushed his wavy locks away from his face and picked up another towel to clean his face noticing for a middle-aged looking man, he was quite handsome. She slapped herself inwardly for having such thoughts at the moment.

Her job went lower and she reluctantly pried off his Hakama making sure to not look and to set a towel over his waist to prevent seeing things a girl her age shouldn't be interested in. That being said she winced at the nasty gash that extended from his hip to his thigh: that must've been very painful. Taking the towel and dipping it in the basin she carefully cleaned it around the edges and taking another towel using lukewarm water to clean off the grime and once the task was over she took a deep breath and unwound her scarf and her eyes widened perplexed as the wound in his chest began to bleed through instantly.

"That's not good" she whispered, quickly cleaning the area around the wound the blood began to drip down both sides of his torso, so her hands despite becoming stained in blood sent a pulse of Reiatsu as she concentrated the healing Kido into his wound and the damage had reached his core. _'I think Otou-san called it Saketsu and Hakusui'_ she bit her lip being careful not to damage it further, sending teasing pulses of Reiatsu to slowly heal the damage or risk the man losing all his Shinigami powers and judging by the '1' on his Captain's Haori, that wasn't an option.

It took hours to heal his wounds, properly bandage them and put a pair of new boxers her father kept in the lower drawers in case of emergencies for his patients, screwing her eyes shut to not see and heaving a sigh of relief when the task was over. She changed his bed and cleaned off the blood that stuck to his torso, setting ointment over the tender wound she set a few gauzes over it and bandages his torso before pulling a blanket over his body and slumped onto the ground feeling worn out.

Yet a few days later after chaotic turns of his health she was woken abruptly.

"Hng…!" brown eyes snapped open _'how could I have forgotten to give him some anesthetic!?'_ she cried mentally, scrambling to her feet she stumbled towards the cabinets. The man was curled up in the bed in pain, he coughed and groaned in agony making tears prickle her eyes for her recklessness was causing a man much pain. Yuzu's hands trembled as she went through the cooler where her father had prepared several doses and took two of the syringes rushing towards the man's side.


	2. Awakening

When Kyoraku woke he expected to find 'the light' he had jokingly spoken with Ukitake or pitch darkness, many things not in nearly unbearable pain which clearly stated he was alive staring at a cream colored ceiling. A scream tore from his throat when there was a gasp from his left, his vision swarm as he felt like curling up when dainty hands moved his arm away and he heard someone speak, a female yet he couldn't make out her words. There was a sigh and then, a warm soothing feeling that began from the wound in the center of his chest throughout his body.

"…W…Where…?" he coughed and it stung the wound in his chest,

"Please don't speak" the voice belonged to a girl, it was quite childish her small arm wound around his shoulders helping him up as a cup was brought to his lips and he greedily drank the water. "I found you 10 days ago, you were bleeding out and I managed to bring you home. I haven't been able to get in contact with Soul Society since Otou-san took the Deireinshiki and both Hueco Mundo and Soul Society are on Quarantine, it will be for several weeks because the Dimensions were on the verge of crashing so…" he gave a small nod of understanding, he finally was able to see the girl "I'm Yuzu Kurosaki."

So that answered the reason she could see him…

"Kyoraku Shunsui"

"So you're a Captain, Onii-chan spoke about you a few times" the girl said as she grabbed the cloth on his forehead and cleaned the sweat on his face "I nearly had a heart attack when I found you" the girl admitted. He hummed closing his eyes as she reset the cloth on his forehead "unlike my siblings my ability to see the dead isn't very reliable, there are times where I could see them clearly and times where I can't, that changed 3 weeks ago. It was the first time I saw a Shinigami, well Otou-san and Onii-chan don't really count since I really can't see them as another species other than two fools who need to find a new way of greeting each other" he gave a small chuckle having heard Isshin's so-called training from Ukitake from what Rukia told him.

"Ite…"

"Ah sorry, I really shouldn't have made you laugh" the girl said looking on the verge of panicking "…you died 3 times on the first day, it took a while to revive you and the time period each time grew longer so I thought you were a dead man for sure and I really don't mean any pun with that" Yuzu stated with concern, "I only know minor healing Kido that Otou-san taught me, but for now its my Reiatsu that is keeping you alive." Ah, that defienetly explained the intruding yet warm presence in his body "you've been unconscious or delirious, I didn't think it possible for a person to have their own weapon through their heart."

"!" now he remembered "Ukitake!"

"Wait, don't get up!" the girl cried leaning over to push him back down "Ukitake-san is fine, I managed to tell Rukia-chan I had found a Shinigami since I didn't know your name I gave her your description. She only gave me a rushed explanation, but no Captains died since Ichigo arrived on time to end the War!" he relaxed, Ichigo…of course. The boy stopped Aizen, there wasn't a reason why he would have been unable to stop Yhwach "rest some more, you can't eat yet since your wound isn't completely healed" she sat up and reached over to turn of the light.

The girl was for the lack of better words, a mother hen which had him giving a chuckle or two although she was cute the girl seemed completely oblivious to the attention the male species gave her. Isshin defienetly overprotected her…while it was strictly forbidden to do anything that would strain his wounds, it had taken much convincing for her to permit him to get out of bed. He usually spent his time lounging on the couch reading books while the girl was in School because it was inexcusable to miss even. Although that did not deter her from her task of making sure he was healed and alive by the time he would be able to return to Soul Society.

"I'm back!" the girl called out, she peaked into the living room "I'll go change and then, I'll check your wounds" Yuzu said so he simply nodded in response before she retreated upstairs. Kyoraku found her adorable, her enthusiasm for learning of the supernatural was quite expected yet she was quite the eager learner so he didn't see any harm in teaching her some Kido that according to her, Isshin had taught her a few Kido spells that he realized belonged to the Shiba Clan. He's certain that Ukitake would adore her, although there was no time to ponder on that thought because only painful concern came with the thought of his childhood friend.

"That was less painful" Kyoraku said as the girl prodded the wound on his back, she glanced at him clearly unimpressed

"You're sweating, Kyoraku-san" oops? The warmth of healing kido filled his back and he sighed softly, he's never felt such gentle Reiatsu in all his centuries of life that by simply sensing the girl he can feel at ease. "It looks okay now, 2 more days" the girl says as she walks around to couch picking up a roll of bandages and she sets the gauze on the tender cut on the center of his chest "how does anyone survive after getting a sword through their heart is beyond me" the girl remarked as she began to bandage his torso leaning a bit too close which made him a little uneasy.

"A Shinigami's Reiatsu is his lifespan, the injury doesn't matter unless our Saketsu and Hakusui is pierced which mine wasn't" he informed.

"What if they had been?"

"A Shinigami loses all of his power."


	3. Disturbing Attraction

"She's a child, she's a child, she's a child" One would wonder as to why he was currently chanting like a lunatic well…even he thinks he's a complete fool for having the reasons, he had walked in on the girl in the middle of a bath. A _14 year old_ girl, he scolded himself feeling more than just ashamed but his Shunpo had saved him from being discovered and being thought as some pervert which at this point he was believing he was himself. Yet his swift actions also had consequences, he reopened his wound and that would mean he would have to remove his shirt and she would have to touch him…err, heal him.

This was becoming really, _really_ bad.

He had been in the Kurosaki home for a month and a half when he suddenly became attracted to a human child, well that human child had a growing sprout in those 7 weeks and had developed some hips and an above average bust as she had grown 3 inches in height which was the reason he was having a difficult time remembering she was only 14 year old _girl_. A child. It was summer and came the short skirts, dresses and shorts that she was completely oblivious to the fact that she was sharing a roof with a _grown man_. Or it was just unnatural for him to be attracted to a young girl.

Whatever the point it was, she was on vacation which she cheerfully announced that she would have the whole day to keep track of his condition which was plain torture. There were times that she fell asleep on the couch beside him and curl up further while he bared with the cruel inability of being restricted to lay his hands on her. He had forbidden himself to even have that honors as the girl would grow up as human, fall in love with a human, marry a human, have a few _human_ children and die of a very, very old age even if it left a bad aftertaste in his mouth at the thought.

Her innocence came as a double edge sword, while she respected his privacy he didn't have the heart to look at her when he took too long having cold showers or when he refused to look her way when she wore very short articles of clothing. But that innocence came with obliviousness as she had no clue as to the perverse thoughts flowing in his mind, Kami help him… and he was very weak to her pout, it was just too adorable to resist which to she wickedly used to her advantaged to guilt-trip him into getting out of the house and so something even if no one else could see him and it was simply walking around Town.

"Hm?" the girl yet again was curled up at his side, he had fallen asleep before her it seemed as his arm was around her petite figure _unconsciously_ of course he took the time to glanced at her. The moment was far too peaceful to ruin it with anything so he allowed himself to relax, smile and cave into much needed sleep. A brown eye creaked open before a pleased smile tugged at her lips as she closed her eyes and his smile grew…did she really think he didn't notice? How cute.

"Kyoraku-san, it looks like Hueco Mundo isn't in Quarantine anymore!" the girl burst into the Clinic looking like she had ran from Hell itself when a loud roar caught his attention "…erm, I tried activating my Soul Ticket but it didn't work it looks like it was just Hueco Mundo" she said shifting away from the hallway so he picked up his Zanpakuto "please be careful!" the girl couldn't sit still so she followed him outside and watched as he did short work of them and she was impressed.

"This just means that they're repairing the balance, my wounds are fine to deal with normal Hollows like those" he said as he felt the slight sting from his old wounds. "I think it would be better if you wash up" he suggested and the girl didn't protest despite his more perverse reason of sending her off to shower so he just realized that she didn't have a clue as to what he had been thinking making him rub his temple, "Ukitake please hurry" because he didn't trust his control enough to not lay his hands on that girl for much longer as repulsive as many would find it.

"The 24 Hollows that appeared in the World of the Living were purified, the Souls appeared in Rukongai yesterday at 1200 hours. It looks like a Shinigami was behind it" Akon informed,

"Yuzu said that she found a wounded Shinigami, he looked like a man between his mid to late 30's" Rukia stated.

"Yuzu?" Akon frowned

"Kurosaki Yuzu, she's Ichigo's sister" the Lieutenant informed "it may be Kyoraku-Soutaichou"

"Kuchiki…" Ukitake whispered, they had left his old friend for dead which was why he was the Soutaichou at the moment.

"The description matches, Taichou! You said that Yhwach used his own Zanpakuto to try and kill you, but he took the wound for you and Yuzu said that the Shinigami had a Zanpakuto through his heart!" he shut his eyes pained.

"That's enough"

"But Taichou…!"

"Enough is enough, Kuchiki-Fuktaichou!"

"…I understand, Ukitake-Taichou"

"If that's the case I will have the equipment in the World of the Living scan the Reiatsu in the area to identify the Shinigami" Akon said as he scanned over the contents of his Information. "I'll be leaving now" the Captain meeting room remained eerie silent. No one said a word, Nanao clenched her hand over her sleeve as she trembled _'please be alive, Kyoraku-Taichou'_ she thought when a hand was set on her shoulder and she glanced at the source.

"Lisa…"

"That idiot is more durable than he looks" the Vizard stated.


	4. Togabito & Ichigo

"My, my that does not look good" Yuzu glanced up at the portal when her blood froze as she met the gaze of a male whom she met long ago, her throat went dry "I didn't know the Sinners were still able to escape Hell" Kyoraku stiffened recalling something and he turned to the burnet who was hyperventilating "calm down" he said catching her before she could hit the ground, "calm down it's okay, I'm right here. I promise I won't let them hurt you" Kyoraku said running his fingers through her hair as she clung onto him shaking from head to toe.

She had died there…of course she would remember.

"I wouldn't make promise you couldn't keep, Shinigami" he glanced up and his long grey eye narrowed.

"Would you like to test that, Togabito-san?" the male bolted forward as he drew his Zanpakuto blocking the flames that were durable enough to be solid enough to clash with a blade. "You're a 1000 years too young to win against me" he stated with no real arrogance, he pulled the girl close and jumped up as the ground exploded caused by 4 tentacles that bent flying straight for them and Yuzu whimpered as her hand tightened around his Kosode.

"Hand that girl over"

"Over my dead body" Kyoraku answered as he maneuvered through the tendrils of limbs and flames

"That can be arranged."

Yuzu woke with a start, a hand pushed her to lay back down which was then that she noticed the Haori draped over her body and the pillow was actually a lap. It took several minutes for her to gather her thoughts and realized that the man had kept his word and he hadn't let the Togabito take her. Yuzu tried to shake away the vivid memories of her mild moments when she was conscious in that place off as they were extremely painful.

"…When they came for us, I only thought that Onii-chan would protect us from anything even monsters" she spoke up voice quiet "I woke up only to hear that Karin-chan had been saved…my brother had already entered Hell so I thought it was going to be okay" her body began to tremble "I didn't think they would tell me of their crimes and the reason why they were dammed…hic…the people they hurt…hic…I would have preferred if they tortured me…hic…"

"It's alright now" Kyoraku said as he ran his fingers through her hair

"But in the end, I died…the air was really heavy with every breath my lungs burned, but if I didn't breathe I'd die" Yuzu sniffled as she did her best to stop her tears "the piercing pain in my chest was less scarier than the pitch darkness I was engulfed in after that" she spoke quietly "Onii-chan did save me, although I don't know how non one talks about it. Like Kaa-chan, it's a taboo topic that no one spoke about it as if it never happened…I was okay with that as long as my brother didn't blame himself"

"He will always blame himself, you should know that better than anyone" Kyoraku stated wondering how the teen would be handling the death of hundreds of Shinigami. The day went by in silence, they just remained in each other's company trying to settle down with the peace of the moment. But that changed abruptly when the front door was thrown open, Kyoraku drew his Zanpakuto as the girl was on alert when they were met with orange.

"Yuzu!"

"Onii-chan?" Kyoraku lowered his swords allowing the teenager to come closer and pulled his sister to a tight embrace causing her to be flagger basted "Onii-chan, that hurts…" the teenager didn't seem to be listening "Oi! That hurts Baka!" Kyoraku blinked startled watching as the Substitute Shinigami crumpled onto the ground as he nursed his gut, the burnet tried to regain her breathing "what was that about? You were suffocating me to death!" he cringed visibly "Onii-chan…"

"Sorry…Urahara-san spotted multiple Togabito Reiatsu in Town, I came as soon as they were able to open the Senkaimon"

"Oh I see" she said and looked around "where's Otou-san? I thought he'd be acting like a madman" Kyoraku could see that the only reason she was jumping in joy and squeezing her brother like a teddy bear was because she didn't want him to feel any more remorse than he already felt.

"Uh, he's not coming back…"

"The least he could have done is sent a letter, honestly he's a terrible father" Yuzu sighed "anyhow, will the Senkaimon be open or is Soul Society still in Quarantine?" she asked looking at the orangette.

"Urahara-san just lifted the barrier so I could slip in through, but they should have it down completely by tomorrow" Ichigo answered as he stood giving a stretch "Ukitake-san will be glad you're alive" Kyoraku perked up at this instantly. "Everyone thought you were dead, it was Rukia who held onto the hope that you were probably the Shinigami Yuzu found, I guess she was right. Although I think you should call for confirmation" he said shuffling through his sleeve "here you go"

"Thank you, Ichigo-kun"

"No problem, besides I owe you big time for protecting my sister" he wouldn't be saying that if he knew of his less than honest intentions, well basically thoughts. However, he's relieved to find that his old friend is well and quite healthy and things were running eventful in Soul Society yet they would speak of the War results after he got back. "Sorry, I can't say anything I promised Ukitake-san that I wouldn't say anything." Ukitake knew him all too well…

"I knew it" he stiffened startled "you were going to leave without saying goodbye" glancing at the girl she was sitting on the stairs and he admits, that maybe just maybe she figured out how he ticked – she was quite the sharp little thing yet oblivious in certain topics particularly involving attraction towards the opposite sex.

"I left a letter"

"That's not really a goodbye, y'know" she pouted.

"Well then" he knew he would regret this later and she would abhor his existence, but he scooped her face and planted a kiss on her lips "how was that?" her face flared up red, her hand shot to her mouth and he turned to leave not noticing the troubled expression that crossed her face. Yuzu sat down on the stairway where Ichigo found her the next morning.

"What are you doing here, Yuzu? Where's Kyoraku-san?"

"He already left…"


	5. Cute Confessions & The End

3 years passed, 3 years of sulking, troubled thoughts, tormented feelings and an exasperated Ukitake telling him to go see _her_ as he would regret leaving things half-heartedly like that. Although when he first told Ukitake of the occurrence he received the most painful punch for laying his hands on a child even if it was just a chaste kiss. His friend made his life hell for the first few months practically being his conscience which left over half of Sereitei confused and Nanao pleased.

"She abhors me, she defienetly abhors me now" for that reason he received a painful punch in the gut, hoisted over a shoulder and thrown into the Senkaimon he had no choice but to cross as it was the day the cleaner passed. Yet cowardly, he masked his Reiatsu and hid but gradually curiosity ate him away so he went in search for her and found her being followed by a group of thugs, tempted to warn her the second one groped her, the 6 males were left groaning on the ground as she calmly walked over them as she flipped the page of the Kido Textbook he recalls Isshin created.

Kyoraku paled, oh she defienetly learned her lesson the first time.

"You do realize that when you're nervous your Reiatsu flickers, right?" he glanced up and found a pair of wide brown eyes looking down at him unimpressed "what are you doing here, Kyoraku-san?" so she didn't hate him…or it may be a trap to lead him to a sense of security and then finish him off quickly. No, no, no she wasn't like that at all, but his heart was thundering in his ears all the same and he fled. "What's with him?" Kyoraku ran a hand through his face, why did she have to grow up to be so beautiful? Kami, help him because he was on the verge of jumping her…

"No!" he dropped to a crouching position and shook his head to clear his head.

"What are you doing acting like some madman? If it wasn't because no one could see you, you'd have many spectators" Yuzu stated with a frown in place.

"You defienetly hate me, I can't face you after I did—!" her hand covered his mouth while looking very red, he found that reaction very cute and she sighed out.

"At first I thought you were trying to get under my skin, but then you're not really that kind of person who would put such heavy pranks on a girl you barely knew" she said "I started to think about your skittish behavior a few weeks before you left and it was uncanny to Onii-chan around Rukia-chan…I brushed that thought away not only because I was human, I wasn't even a teenager yet so it was really impossible. But then I remembered Otou-san and Kaa-chan so I couldn't really be one to judge"

"…" did she hate him or not? He was usually good at reading people and their intentions, but he got nothing with this girl.

"…Then my heart started jumping all over the place," he perked up at this "I would get really out of breath out of the blue and my knees weren't able to support my legs, I even got ticklish feelings in my stomach" Yuzu grumbled "and it's not funny, it was bad enough Yoruichi-san teasing me about it!" yet he couldn't help but chuckle as she hadn't really changed. Well then, a man could only stay composed for so long after receiving such a cute confession. "But!" she panicked seeing that he had grown confident.

"Hm? What is it?" he questioned amused as he managed to corner her against the wall while her face seemed to grow pinker to the point it became red. Yuzu's legs trembled yet she desperately willed herself to stay on her feet and nearly jumped in joy when she was able to accomplish it, "well? What was it?" her heart stopped as he was leaning in so close, his lips brushing against her ear as his warm breath fanned her neck making her shiver.

"I can't do anything without feeling guilty unless Onii-chan and Kukaku-kun agree to it." Yuzu stated determined, why not her father? Well, anyone could see that predictable reaction to this so he groaned lightly leaning his forehead against her shoulder, she defienetly had given him quite the job to take, Kukaku would be quite the problem and don't let him get started on Ichigo.

"Well then" he said smirking lightly "I'll take this as a motivation gift" his hand grasped her chin lightly as his hand traveled towards her neck as his fingers curled at the nape on the tresses of her soft hair while his thumb brushed against her lower lip. Yuzu's face flared up with a blush as his lips brushed against hers and unlike the last time he didn't just give her a chaste kiss rather, an adult kiss with tongue and all leaving her disoriented and breathless. "To have something to look forward to after they slaughter me" he said playfully while her blush darkened as she became unable to stand on her own.

All things considered…she certainly looked forward to that as well and tried to wonder how everyone in Soul Society would react.

Meh – Matsumoto would tell her afterwards.


End file.
